Story at-a-glance
- Internet addiction has surpassed drug use as a top concern for parents of teens, according to an eye-opening study published in JAMA Network Open
- In a survey of 1,005 parents, twice as many cited concerns about internet addiction compared to substance addiction among their 9- to 15-year-old children
- More than half (51.1%) expressed concerns about how internet usage may affect social development, while 46.2% were concerned about cognitive development effects and another 46.7% worried about its effects on physical development
- Access to inappropriate content and cyberbullying were noted as top reasons behind parents’ concerns, while internet addiction was also a common theme
- Research shows 12- and 13-year-olds who check social media more than 15 times a day become more sensitive to social feedback, including changes in how the brain processes social rewards and punishments
Internet addiction has surpassed drug use as a top concern for parents of teens, according to an eye-opening study published in JAMA Network Open.1 In a survey of 1,005 parents, twice as many cited concerns about internet addiction compared to substance addiction among their 9- to 15-year-old children.
Continue reading “Parents Are Growing More Concerned About This Type of Addiction”
(Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels)